A GRIEVING son complained that his father died suddenly after two falls within days in hospital, sparking an investigation by NHS officials.

A GRIEVING son complained that his father died suddenly after two falls within days in hospital, sparking an investigation by NHS officials.

Retired civil servant Aubrey Lang, 86, suffered a serious head injury in the second fall on a ward at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan in October.

He died at the hospital six days later. The cause of death after a post mortem examination was given partly as bleeding on his brain, a subdural haematoma, as well as pulmonary fibrosis and heart problems, his son said.

An inquest into the death has been opened by North East Wales coroner John Gittins and adjourned to a date to be fixed.

Son Geraint Lang, 57, said: “I think it is appalling after his years of service for his country that he has been shabbily treated at the end of his life.”

Mr Lang, a University of Chester lecturer and researcher, lodged a formal complaint with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board over the “lack of clarity” regarding the treatment for his father after he suffered the head injury.

Mr Lang Snr, from Prestatyn, had served with the South Wales Borderers in Burma during World War II and later on the North West Frontier in Afghanistan, where he became an adept linguist. After demobilisation he became a civil servant in the Lord Chancellor’s Department in Rhyl.

He had been suffering from a heart murmur, had recently been treated for a leg ulcer, and had been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, his son said.

“My father was admitted to Glan Clwyd with breathing difficulties on October 8,” he said.

“He was lucid although a bit off colour. We thought he would probably be in hospital for a week to stabilise his condition.”

But the following day, hospital staff rang his wife at their Staffordshire home to say his father had fallen, suffering bruising to his elbow and side, Mr Lang said. Two days later, another call told him that his father had fallen again, this time hitting his head, he said.

“I went to the hospital on the Thursday evening to see him and he was lucid and his demeanour was fairly good but he said he had hit his head and felt a little dozy but was OK.

“There was mention of a CAT scan. I assumed that if someone banged their head there would be some investigation, an x-ray or something.”

But by his visit to the hospital on the following Sunday night his father’s condition had visibly worsened, Mr Lang said.

“We were horrified by what we saw. They had moved his bed next to the nurses’ station and he was quite confused and agitated. Quite obviously something was wrong. He was talking about events and where he was living 40 years ago.”

The next Monday he had a CAT scan which confirmed bleeding on the brain, Mr Lang said. “He was calmer but still confused.”

When Mr Lang asked about his father’s treatment he said there was uncertainty among medical staff over where his father should be treated at the neurological centre at Walton Liverpool or at a trauma centre in Stoke.

“I couldn’t believe that there had been such a delay. The accident with his head injury happened on the Thursday. Six days later he died.

“I have complained that I am very concerned at the lack of clarity over what procedures to put into place in the case of a head injury like that.

“I want reassurance that in future hospital doctors will know what procedures to put into operation because I wouldn’t want another family to go through what I have.

“I don’t want to cause problems. The nurses on the ward were angels and the GP had been brilliant. I just want reassurance that in future they know exactly what they will do.”

A spokesperson for the Betsi Cadwaladr health board said in a statement: “We are very sorry that Mr Lang has had cause to raise concerns regarding his father’s care at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.

“We can confirm that this is in the process of being investigated and we will be responding to Mr Lang directly once this investigation is complete.”

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